WEBVTT 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:16.239 Good to be here. 00:01:16.479 --> 00:01:18.079 Love you guys so much. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:24.399 Just really, just really just want to say that I love y'all so much. 00:01:24.479 --> 00:01:26.079 I'm so happy to be here. 00:01:26.399 --> 00:01:31.920 Um had the pleasure of going to Senior Retreat, as I think a lot of y'all are aware of that. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.079 I just get out of here pretty quick last week. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:53.759 And um senior retreat is an opportunity for my school to just kind of get the proverbial leaders of the campus, the senior class, together, breaking up social clicks and an opportunity to pray over them and um to just kickstart the year both in prayer and hopefully in unity. 00:01:53.919 --> 00:01:55.680 That's that's normally the goal. 00:01:55.919 --> 00:02:01.439 Um on Sunday night uh we're sitting around a campfire. 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:05.759 I try to be around a campfire, even though it's 95 degrees outside. 00:02:05.919 --> 00:02:20.879 Uh we're sitting around a campfire, and we're having this quiet time, but anyone could stand up and express anything that's on their heart or fears that they have, or um just just just anything that comes to their mind, a charge perhaps to the class, or how the Lord's a blessing. 00:02:20.959 --> 00:02:27.199 And one young man stood up and um he just said something that really has kind of struck my my brain. 00:02:27.519 --> 00:02:36.959 Um and it I'd forgotten about it until about five minutes ago, and now I'm just completely veering off the course of everything I wanted to talk to y'all about. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.199 But y'all pray that the Lord is in this. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.199 He said something that like this. 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:51.680 He um he talked about how much he loves being at the Woodlands Christian Academy and how important our faith is in walking by faith. 00:02:52.079 --> 00:03:06.079 And then he ends his testimony with saying, so that when we die and we are going to have you know, we die, we will he we will hear, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, and not thou never knew me. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:12.719 You know, and thinking about the fear that that young man had. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:23.359 I apologize that this seems to be a primitive Baptist redundancy for me to get up here and tell you something that is the absolute core foundation of what we believe. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:27.840 But I hope that you understand that this is something that we ought to celebrate in. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:04:06.400 This is something that we should rejoice in, and this is something that we should believe in, and that is that we believe in a salvation that is totally and solely by the grace of an Almighty God, who, understanding the very nature of his people, rescued us from a state of utter, complete despair and brought us to him by his own power, his grace, and his majesty, to the extent that we were made, at least representationally, righteous by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ having made once and forever a sacrifice, right? 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:19.039 That he died a death for you and me, so that guys, when Jesus Christ, when God Himself looks down upon us, he doesn't see us and he doesn't see our righteousness. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:26.560 He sees his righteousness that was imputed unto us by Jesus Christ. 00:04:26.799 --> 00:04:41.120 I know that's a lot of words, and those are all that there, there's a lot of prepositional phrases that I just said to you, but there is something absolutely beautiful, and that is just so beloved to us that we ought never to feel. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:42.879 I was over there feeling a little hesitant. 00:04:43.039 --> 00:04:48.079 I was like, man, I feel like I'm not gonna say anything that they haven't heard from the pulpit every single day of their life. 00:04:48.159 --> 00:04:49.919 I mean, how often have we heard that? 00:04:50.159 --> 00:04:57.519 But then I just shook that off and I was like, man, we we ought to hear that every single day of our life because that is something beautiful. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:03.919 I thought about the fear that young men carried, and I wanted so bad to be able to go up to him and tell him, hey, guess what, brother? 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.439 You don't have to fear. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.799 Because Jesus Christ actually did it. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:18.879 He did everything for you, he has achieved everything for you, and there's nothing, there's not literally a single sin that was forgotten in the closet. 00:05:18.960 --> 00:05:33.679 You know, you know sometimes when you move, right, you move, and you go back and you come back through the house, and there's that one coat hanger still laying in the closet, you still find that one, uh, that one garment that's still under, you know, something, or just just just whatever, right? 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:37.120 You you open up the pantry and you forgot to grab the vacuum. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:38.000 Right? 00:05:38.159 --> 00:05:48.159 When that's not the picture of what Jesus Christ, when he moved us to him, like when he drew us to him, there wasn't a single sin that was left in the closet. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.879 There wasn't anything that was left over. 00:05:51.200 --> 00:05:58.799 He literally went through and died and literally appeased every single sin. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:03.120 And so my thoughts have been in Romans chapter 3. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:06.480 Um, I know that in January I went into this. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.399 I do have a thought that I'd like to be able to draw out of it if I can. 00:06:10.559 --> 00:06:12.080 Um, y'all pray for me. 00:06:12.159 --> 00:06:16.559 I have not talked to my pastor about what I believe about this verse, so y'all pray for him as well. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:20.720 Um but we're in the third chapter of the 21st verse. 00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:28.720 Um man, if if if you have ever felt low, and if you've ever felt like, man, am I really a child of God? 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.759 Which I know growing up primitive Baptists, you you I don't know if you've ever felt that way or not. 00:06:33.840 --> 00:06:37.679 Or um, even if you haven't grown up primitive Baptist, I don't know if you've ever felt that way or not. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:39.679 But man, this this is it right here. 00:06:39.840 --> 00:06:43.759 This is the one, this is the best place to take any person, in my opinion. 00:06:44.080 --> 00:06:47.600 He says, but now, right? 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:51.679 I I I hate to say it, but there's a sermon in the okay, there's a sermon in every word. 00:06:51.840 --> 00:06:54.080 There is a sermon in that word, but, okay? 00:06:54.320 --> 00:07:08.240 But now, right now, the righteousness of God without the law, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:13.679 Uh, rather than make this the grand point of points, I'll just go ahead and summarize it and say it to you right now. 00:07:13.840 --> 00:07:22.960 That guys, this is taught, this entire verse, pretty much every noun in here is referring to a different aspect of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:07:23.200 --> 00:07:27.679 Every little thing that you're reading here is essentially talking about Jesus Christ. 00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:31.600 There's not anything new in here outside of just this is just Jesus Christ. 00:07:31.679 --> 00:07:35.360 When he talks about the righteousness of God, he's referring to Jesus Christ. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:40.000 He says, but now the righteousness of God without the law. 00:07:40.159 --> 00:07:44.159 The law gave a picture, a glimpse of the righteousness of God. 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:45.759 It 100% did. 00:07:46.080 --> 00:07:52.799 But the law wasn't ever meant for us to try to achieve the righteousness of God. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.600 And that was a fundamental mistake of the Jews. 00:07:55.840 --> 00:08:03.519 They they their hearts had been turned because they had served for so long believing that the law was like this world's best kept secret, right? 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.120 That they had something that everyone else, including the Gentiles, did not have. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.320 And that best kept secret, right, is this law. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:10.799 Right? 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:16.559 We've got it, and this law is how we are going to be made righteous in the sight of God. 00:08:16.960 --> 00:08:19.759 That's never what it was designed for, right? 00:08:19.919 --> 00:08:22.399 It was to teach you one fundamental lesson. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:27.759 And that fundamental lesson was you can't do it. 00:08:28.960 --> 00:08:32.879 Every year you were to go before the high priest. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:37.039 Or I'm sorry, the high priest was to literally go before all the people. 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:45.679 He was to enter in to the beyond the second veil to go into the holiest of holies, and there he was to sprinkle blood. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:48.720 But do you notice he had to go there every year? 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:53.679 He had to go there every year because every year they continued to sin. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:09:05.279 And literally, it was literally written in Leviticus 16 that you're supposed to do this as an uh, I'm sorry, as a commitment essentially, every single year. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:13.439 Right there, Moses is telling, or God is technically telling Moses, that you're going to be doing this every year because you are still in sin. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:18.720 This is never going to get you where you need to go, and it's only by Jesus Christ. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:19.279 Right? 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:25.600 The law was to point you, it's a vector, it's supposed to send you vision to something else. 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.639 And that something else was the man. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:35.120 So he says, now the righteousness of God, he's talking about Jesus Christ without the law, is manifest. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:36.240 It's revealed. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.480 It says being witnessed by the law. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.919 So the law itself pointed to the reality of Jesus Christ. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:43.360 And the prophets, right? 00:09:43.439 --> 00:09:47.679 So even the Old Testament prophets were pointing to Jesus Christ. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:51.839 Even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ. 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:54.719 Oh goodness, uh, y'all pray for me, I can get through this. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:58.319 To all, and upon all of them that believe. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:09:59.919 For there is no difference. 00:10:00.079 --> 00:10:03.039 There's no difference between being Jew or Gentile. 00:10:03.199 --> 00:10:11.279 There's no difference, for all have sinned, and all have come short of the glory of God. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.159 There's not a single person who is not under the weight of that. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:23.279 That just simply means that if we're going to be brought out of the weight of that, we have to be made righteous. 00:10:23.439 --> 00:10:30.879 And if we can't save ourselves, then the only logical inference is that something else has saved us. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:36.399 If you are drowning, you're not saving yourselves, something else, someone else had to do it. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:11:06.639 But he said, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God had set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 00:11:06.959 --> 00:11:09.759 I want to go back to the 25th verse. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:18.559 This word propitiation has been what's been capturing my mind. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:27.519 If you do a simple word study, you might find that this word propitiation, it's not in our common vocabulary. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:30.319 It's not a word that we use in everyday life. 00:11:31.439 --> 00:11:37.600 And so just reading about it, the more I read about it, the more mysterious and interesting this word is. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:46.879 It was translated or transliterated, I suppose, to this word Hilisterion, which was then translated to be the word propitiation. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:58.240 But this word propitiation, even in 2,000 years ago in ancient, the ancient world of Greece slash Roman Empire, this was not a word that was actually commonly used. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:11.199 And so I found myself kind of in this boat where I am pouring through commentaries and I'm reading about all these different things, and I just had this weird thought. 00:12:12.079 --> 00:12:24.639 It was kind of seated by someone else, but I had this thought about you know, the original people that would have read this, technically I think that they would have heard that somebody would have read this letter aloud. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:27.919 So that they didn't have all of that. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.279 They didn't have all of these commentaries, they didn't have 2,000 years of people studying this word out. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:33.919 Right? 00:12:34.079 --> 00:12:45.279 And so sometimes I feel like I might, just speaking about me, I can get a little lost with trying to look at all the complexities of scripture because these were normal, everyday people that were hearing this. 00:12:45.439 --> 00:12:55.600 And these normal everyday people heard this, and I would presume that Paul wrote this, Brother Lane, in a way that they could understand this word when they heard it. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:08.159 And so Paul's writing, so I suppose maybe if we can, I want to imagine being one of the very you know, imagine being in that church hearing this for the first time. 00:13:08.319 --> 00:13:10.959 What and how would they have understood this word? 00:13:11.439 --> 00:13:17.120 And I suppose there's two very different contexts of people that are sitting in that congregation. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:24.079 One group of people are Jews, which some people just call proselytes. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:27.519 These are people that have converted to Christianity, but they're of a Jewish background. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:35.600 These are people that would have been familiar with the law and the law service, they would have been at synagogues, these would and for them, they would have heard this word. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:45.439 I I just wonder if they would have heard this word, Brother Bobby, a little different than perhaps those that were of a pagan background, those that were of a Gentile background. 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:56.799 That the way in which you know the that culture here probably would have guided how they would have viewed this word, and in either way that you go, it's still just as beautiful. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.159 So, if y'all pray for me, please pray for me. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:08.639 Um, if you're from a Jewish background, this word would have absolutely meant something to you. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:16.480 Because this word would have been a word that we understand relates to the very mercy seat. 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:22.799 This is this mercy seat would have been the covering on the Ark of the Covenant. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:44.319 And so the Ark of the Covenant would have been like one of the most treasured pieces of the Jewish synagogue and, or I'm sorry, the Jewish temple, and this is where, this is the very location, the very place where the blood of the Lamb would have been sprinkled, that would have been for the sins of the people. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:58.319 And above this very place, above it, is the very place where God would have come in as a cloud, and that's where he would commune with the holy, I'm sorry, with the priest. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:00.319 I apologize, with the priest, the high priest. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:02.079 I meant to say high priest. 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:09.519 Him saying that would have been an absolute, I just imagined that would have given chills. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:12.799 Because to say it's the mercy seat, right? 00:15:12.959 --> 00:15:17.919 And you might want you might notice something if you've got your highlighter, I'm a big highlighter fan, it's the teacher in me. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.120 You might notice the 25th verse starts off with whom? 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:22.240 Right? 00:15:22.319 --> 00:15:25.039 So we're again, like I said, this is all about Jesus Christ. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.000 He's saying whom? 00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:27.120 Who's the whom? 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:28.639 Jesus Christ. 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:32.799 Whom God had set, I'm sorry, hath set forth. 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:37.120 So had set forth to be a propitiation. 00:15:37.439 --> 00:15:39.679 Who set Jesus Christ forth? 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:41.679 It was God that set him forth. 00:15:41.839 --> 00:15:42.799 And what was he? 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:45.600 He was the very mercy seat. 00:15:45.839 --> 00:15:55.279 He was the very place where the blood was sprinkled, where that appeasement, that appeasement, if you will, to the wrath of an Almighty God was being made. 00:15:56.079 --> 00:15:56.559 Right? 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:03.120 He would, he was the very essence of the Holy of Holies, that tabernacle. 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:08.480 I also, oh man, I think about the Jews, I'm sorry, the Gentiles. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:14.879 Um the Gentiles would have heard this word. 00:16:15.839 --> 00:16:26.319 Um that word, I think it's it doesn't matter what it was, when they heard this word, this would have been something that I would imagine would have been somewhat familiar to them. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:35.679 It was a word that was used to represent idols or for pagan worship that they would have set at altars to appease a wrath of God. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:40.719 It was not necessarily the thing, but on it they would write. 00:16:40.959 --> 00:16:46.559 They would literally write, like, hey, this is Owen Howard, and hey, this is for all of my sins. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:56.159 That's what they would have done, and they would have they would have laid it or cast it at some sort of an idol to try to appease the wrath of God. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:02.000 I would imagine that Jesus Christ absolutely is that as well. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:12.160 He is absolutely the very thing that with um, I'm sorry, that the very thing that appeased the wrath of an Almighty God. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:17.120 That he was the absolute sacrifice that we needed. 00:17:17.360 --> 00:17:24.799 One of the things, too, about this verse that you might notice is that this is something that has already happened, not something ongoing. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:35.680 It says, who God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith and to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:41.120 Um this verse as well is going into something else that I think is very important. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:49.440 Um because if you're reading through the Apostle Paul's letter here, um I don't want. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:53.440 I'm so trying not to, I'm trying to control my time. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:54.400 I'm sorry. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:18:02.960 Um he is talking about this idea of both Jew versus Gentile, right? 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:03.839 Are you with me there? 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:08.720 We understand that if you go back to the start of the third verse, he starts off with what evangelist didn't have the Jew, right? 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:12.000 Because he's been talking about all of these differences, right? 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:22.480 And here now he's getting to the point that listen, it's not about Jew versus Gentile, it's about the righteousness of God, it's about what Jesus Christ has done, right? 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.880 And it's not even actually about belief. 00:18:25.040 --> 00:18:28.960 Even though you might be like, hey, oh, and I just read about belief and our role in belief. 00:18:29.040 --> 00:18:29.840 No, no, no. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.400 Belief is what clarifies or brings into focus the righteousness of God. 00:18:34.560 --> 00:18:41.200 It's in belief that we have the righteousness of God revealed, okay, if that makes sense. 00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:45.200 But what he's dealing with here is what about those that did not believe? 00:18:45.360 --> 00:18:47.200 And when I say those, what about all of these? 00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:48.480 What about Abraham? 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:49.840 And what about Isaac? 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:51.440 And what about Jacob? 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:54.400 Did they believe in Jesus Christ? 00:18:54.800 --> 00:18:59.680 If anyone ever says, hey, you've got to believe or have faith in Jesus Christ, well, what about those guys? 00:18:59.840 --> 00:19:02.160 I mean, do you all believe that Abraham is in heaven? 00:19:03.040 --> 00:19:04.560 Do you believe that Jacob is in heaven? 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.279 I hope that you do. 00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:06.480 Do you believe David is in heaven? 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:07.680 I hope that you do. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.120 Did they have faith in Jesus Christ? 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.240 Did they believe in Jesus Christ? 00:19:14.560 --> 00:19:15.200 Right? 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:21.279 Listen to what he says, whom God had set forth to be propitiation through faith. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:22.320 Whose faith is that? 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:23.600 That's God's faith. 00:19:23.840 --> 00:19:35.680 Through faith in his blood, God had so much faith in Jesus Christ that it was as if it was already done even before the foundation of the world. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:55.759 That even though those men lived and women lived thousands or hundreds of years before Jesus Christ would ever come, he's saying that their salvation was just as secure as all of us post the crucifixion, because Jesus Christ, I'm sorry, because God had faith in his son. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:06.640 God knew and had full, complete confidence that they were just as much saved then by the blood of Christ, even though that blood had not even yet been shed. 00:20:06.800 --> 00:20:15.040 That's what he's saying when he says to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. 00:20:16.080 --> 00:20:32.000 Guys, whether you look before the cross, whether you look after the cross, whether you were a contemporary like Peter, and you actually got to see and behold Jesus Christ in his human form. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:42.880 Whether no matter where you are, we believe, at least I believe, but I hope you believe with me, we believe that salvation is always the same. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:49.440 And that salvation was literally secured by the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:20:49.600 --> 00:20:54.000 It was so sure, it was as sure as it ever could be before the foundation of the world. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:21:06.160 And we know today without question that that blood was received by the Father, that we have been declared righteous by the imputed righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:07.920 I thank you for your kind attention. 00:21:20.080 --> 00:21:22.240 Amen to what we've heard so far. 00:21:22.320 --> 00:21:24.000 I want to start right where he was. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:30.160 And if the Lord's in the manner, I think that we're gonna be able to see this tie together with what was on my mind. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:34.160 Um right there in Romans chapter 3. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:44.080 Now, Brother Owens laying out for us what God saw from time immemorial, from the beginning of the world. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:48.160 What he saw was the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:51.600 God's looking for the blood. 00:21:51.840 --> 00:21:59.759 He says so in the in picture form in Egypt when the Passover first happened. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:04.720 Not the memorial called the Passover, but the actual Passover. 00:22:05.040 --> 00:22:06.800 Says that he was looking for the blood. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:10.480 He said, When I see the blood, I will pass over thee. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.200 God's been looking for the blood of Christ. 00:22:13.360 --> 00:22:15.120 He's been looking there since the beginning. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:36.560 Here, as he read for us and expounded upon Romans chapter 3, verse 24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that's whom God had set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:44.560 That's God's faith in his blood, his absolute confidence that Jesus Christ would do that which he said he would do. 00:22:44.800 --> 00:22:46.800 Of course he knew he would do it. 00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:48.080 He is God. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:50.480 God is not divided, God is one. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:58.320 In covenant before the world began, when God the Father loved and chose a people, God the Son loved those people too. 00:22:58.560 --> 00:23:04.800 God, he didn't have to acquaint the word of God, the Son of God, with the list of names. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:05.600 You know what I'm saying? 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:09.920 He didn't have to come together with himself and say, well, let's. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.200 Let's start to pick who we want and who we don't want. 00:23:13.840 --> 00:23:18.320 God loved his people and he knew you before the world began. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.759 He knew every one of his people. 00:23:19.840 --> 00:23:23.759 And the Son knew those same people and loved those same people. 00:23:24.080 --> 00:23:30.080 And we talk about it as if there was some sort of board meeting when we talk about the covenant. 00:23:30.320 --> 00:23:34.320 But don't it's because we have a hard time grasping the things of God. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:38.240 We use natural things to understand the spiritual things. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:41.680 Then we have to understand that it's there's flaws in it. 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:44.480 But God agreed within himself. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:58.720 He covenanted, made a promise within himself, between the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, who are one and not divided or not separate, but they are distinct persons of the Godhead. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:12.320 And God, all of God, the fullness of God, love the people, and then it says in Ephesians that he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:25.120 And when he did that, he did it with faith, with confidence, that he would do what is required for them to be made righteous. 00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:30.240 This is what he means by that he has set him forth to be a propitiation. 00:24:30.320 --> 00:24:32.160 And Brother Owen laid out propitiation. 00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:34.160 Well, I don't need to talk about that again. 00:24:34.320 --> 00:24:41.040 But that he set him to be that for us through the confidence in his blood. 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:42.480 But then let's go further. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:25:00.160 He says, to declare, God's to declare his righteousness, Christ's righteousness, for or to take care of the remission of sins that are past. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:04.800 And that's what when Brother Owen talked about Jacob, Isaac, Abraham. 00:25:05.040 --> 00:25:09.920 Go back to Adam, all of God's people that he loved before the world began. 00:25:10.080 --> 00:25:11.759 It wasn't through righteousness. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:17.840 And Paul will go further into the fourth chapter and talk about what did Abraham find? 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:19.360 What did he find? 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:21.279 It wasn't by his works. 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:25.279 If he had been justified by his works, there'd be some boasting he could do. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:27.680 But it wasn't by his works. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:33.040 So what brought about the righteousness of Abraham? 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:42.320 God set forth Christ to be the propitiation to declare his righteousness for the sins that are past. 00:25:42.800 --> 00:25:45.759 Our sins must be dealt with. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:50.880 Yours, mine, Abraham's, Adam's, everyone's sins must be dealt with. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:53.680 And my friends, they had to be dealt with the exact same way. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:26:01.920 There is nobody who is going to be in heaven that didn't get there the exact same way as every other person in heaven. 00:26:02.080 --> 00:26:03.759 There are no exceptions. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:04.720 Okay? 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:07.920 There's no, but what about this? 00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:09.680 No, what about isms. 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:19.120 The same way that I will be in heaven is the same way Abraham's in heaven, the same way that an infant will be in heaven. 00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:22.160 And it's the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 00:26:22.320 --> 00:26:25.279 And God said, I'm going to declare his righteousness. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:29.040 Declare his righteousness is the one that will take care of the sins. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.560 He says, that are past. 00:26:31.040 --> 00:26:39.279 At the time that he's talking about, he's talking about the sins of the people that were before Christ came into this world. 00:26:39.600 --> 00:26:46.480 It's easier for, we have, what's I say easier, like our problem is we're short-sighted, right? 00:26:46.800 --> 00:26:55.519 We are creatures of time and we're bound by time, and we say that if you are going to heaven because of the blood of Jesus Christ, then he must needs have died first. 00:26:56.320 --> 00:27:00.240 But what about the people that are before Christ came into this world? 00:27:00.560 --> 00:27:18.640 This text tells us that they go to heaven because their sins are remitted, they are paid for in full by the same blood that you will go to heaven because of, the same work of Jesus Christ on the cross, though it had not happened yet. 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:26.560 And Brother Owen clearly said that, that he um it was his death as if it had before it was already done. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:32.480 And the scriptures tell us that he stood as it were a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 00:27:32.800 --> 00:27:37.600 It's always been about the blood of Jesus Christ, about his death on the cross. 00:27:37.840 --> 00:27:42.080 Everyone that goes to heaven, they go there that way and that alone. 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:44.320 So that's what he's saying here. 00:27:44.560 --> 00:28:09.920 That through the forbearance of God is meaning that God to forbear, to long suffer, to just kind of roll back the actual penalty of sin for those people that Christ had not yet in time paid the price for. 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:15.840 Put it on, if you'll allow me to do a maybe this is trite, but I hope that it makes the point. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.200 Put it on, as it were, like a layaway plan. 00:28:19.600 --> 00:28:27.200 The sins of Abraham were going to be paid for in full by the only currency that could possibly pay for it. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:32.960 And God saw Abraham paid in full, though the money hadn't been paid. 00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:33.440 Okay? 00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:41.040 Put it on, as it were, credit, the credit of the Lord Jesus Christ and no one else. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:43.279 Those sins will be paid for. 00:29:05.840 --> 00:29:13.200 So then the next verse, verse 26 says, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness. 00:29:13.360 --> 00:29:14.240 So guess what? 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:21.279 In this modern day, exact same righteousness that must be our what remits our sins. 00:29:21.600 --> 00:29:24.800 God sees the blood of Christ for you. 00:29:25.360 --> 00:29:32.160 He sees the work of the cross for you, and he sees that as he declares it to us. 00:29:32.320 --> 00:29:32.640 Okay? 00:29:33.040 --> 00:29:39.040 That it says that he might be just. 00:29:39.600 --> 00:29:41.120 That's an interesting thought. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.400 Did God have to do something to be just? 00:29:44.800 --> 00:29:56.320 No, it's that he is just, and this is the only way justice could have been satisfied, and his love and mercy also be satisfied. 00:29:56.560 --> 00:30:01.040 But he's declaring it so we would understand that he is just. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:07.680 See, God did not just take our sins and sweep them under the rug. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:14.160 Our sins were dealt with in full, and justice was satisfied by the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:18.240 The death of Christ on the cross appeased it. 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:19.840 It satisfied it. 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:25.519 He made peace with God through his blood. 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.840 This is what God sees, and he's telling us about it. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:33.920 Now, the next phrase says that he might be justified. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:40.560 It says, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:47.519 Now it's from there I'd like to move into what I want to think about because we've been talking about what God sees. 00:30:49.120 --> 00:30:53.920 But believing, he that believeth, that's about what we see. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:55.759 What do we see? 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:10.000 Well, I tell you, it does not matter in the finality of the salvation of God's people, whether they see it or not. 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:17.040 It does, however, matter greatly to us if we see it. 00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:17.600 Okay? 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:23.200 What God has seen, that is done. 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:35.440 And if we were above where we were reading earlier, it said, uh, even the righteousness. 00:31:35.600 --> 00:31:36.640 Yeah, verse 22. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:41.200 I have to start with verse 21 of this Romans chapter 3, but um, or verse 20. 00:31:41.360 --> 00:31:45.360 Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. 00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:50.960 See, he's not looking at the deeds of the law for you to be declared just in his sight. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:53.200 He's looking for the blood of Christ. 00:31:53.440 --> 00:31:54.800 And he saw it. 00:31:55.120 --> 00:32:03.920 And then it says, but now the righteousness of God, without or apart from and separated from the law, is manifested. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:05.840 That's Jesus Christ. 00:32:06.320 --> 00:32:08.640 He's evidently seen now. 00:32:08.800 --> 00:32:15.120 And it says, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even, this is like, I'm going to tell you what that righteousness is. 00:32:15.360 --> 00:32:21.600 Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:27.279 Now that is not by your faith in Jesus Christ. 00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:30.400 The word your isn't in there, and the word in isn't in there. 00:32:30.560 --> 00:32:33.680 It's by faith of Jesus Christ. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:35.840 It's Christ's faith. 00:32:36.080 --> 00:32:41.120 And to be a little more explicit, Christ's faithful work on the cross. 00:32:41.360 --> 00:32:48.480 It is the work of Christ in doing that which he said he would do that God is looking for to do it. 00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:53.600 This righteousness of God comes only by the faith of Jesus Christ. 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:58.480 But it comes unto all and upon all them that believe. 00:32:58.960 --> 00:32:59.279 Okay? 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:02.720 That's not a condition for it to come to you. 00:33:02.800 --> 00:33:11.519 The righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Christ, comes because Christ came to die for those that God gave him. 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:16.240 But for those that believe, it's unto us. 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:18.640 Now we can see what God sees. 00:33:18.800 --> 00:33:19.120 Okay? 00:33:19.600 --> 00:33:22.000 God sees the blood of Christ. 00:33:22.320 --> 00:33:24.400 We should see it too. 00:33:24.800 --> 00:33:27.920 And he is just to forgive our sins. 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:28.240 Why? 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:30.160 Because Christ died for them. 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:32.960 But what about our experience? 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:35.120 Do we feel just? 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:41.440 Do we hear the declaration that the righteousness of Christ has made us just? 00:33:41.600 --> 00:33:42.560 Do we hear that? 00:33:42.800 --> 00:33:47.920 Well, we don't hear it unless we are looking at the same thing God's looking at. 00:33:48.080 --> 00:33:49.840 God's looking at the blood of Christ. 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:51.680 Are we looking at the blood? 00:33:51.920 --> 00:34:00.720 That's what it would mean by that he declares his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier. 00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:05.040 The justifier is the one that pronounces the just judgment. 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:10.400 The justifier is the one that says, You're judged, you are righteous, you are holy. 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:11.039 Guess what? 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:12.559 Who that is not? 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:15.360 That's not me, and that's not you. 00:34:15.759 --> 00:34:19.920 We are never legally, rightfully the justifier. 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:21.759 We're not the judge. 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:31.039 We, if we're gonna hear the pronouncement, the right pronouncement of our case, we need to be listening for God's declaration. 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:33.679 This tells us what God's declaration is. 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:43.759 It's that his righteousness takes care of our sins, that his work on the cross took care of that, remitted our sins, that he is the propitiation. 00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:46.079 Do I hear him say that to me? 00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:47.759 How can I hear it? 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:51.279 He's the justifier, says, of them that believe. 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:52.639 Believe what? 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:58.400 Believe in this work of Jesus Christ being the full propitiation for our sins. 00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:00.880 Believe in what he did on the cross. 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:03.119 Looking to his work. 00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:18.559 And so in that um in that vein, I'd like to uh take y'all to John, I mean John chapter 3. 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:19.440 This one. 00:35:20.799 --> 00:35:31.440 Um I tried to speak on this yesterday, and I'm gonna uh and I left myself just this much time yesterday to get to this very text, so just as bad as yesterday. 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:39.279 Or not yesterday, it's Friday, but um chapter 3. 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:46.319 I want to uh set some context and then get to verse 14. 00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:51.039 John chapter 3, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus. 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:52.960 It says he comes by night. 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:54.399 Why'd he come by night? 00:35:54.559 --> 00:36:02.719 He came by night because uh the rest of his Pharisees wouldn't have liked it if they had seen him coming and asking Jesus these questions. 00:36:02.879 --> 00:36:05.839 Because he wasn't coming to ask Jesus trip up questions. 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:09.279 Many of the Pharisees came to Jesus to ask him questions. 00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:11.119 In public, broad daylight. 00:36:11.279 --> 00:36:14.480 Those questions they came to ask him were to trick him up. 00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:18.319 It tells us they came to see if they could find something to accuse him of. 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:20.799 This wasn't Nicodemus' mindset. 00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:22.559 Why did he come at night? 00:36:22.719 --> 00:36:31.359 He came because he had sincere questions, he had true questions of his heart, and he didn't want no one to see. 00:36:31.759 --> 00:36:32.079 Okay. 00:36:32.719 --> 00:36:39.679 He was looking for Jesus, but he didn't want he was wanted to see Jesus, but he didn't want anyone else to see him see Jesus. 00:36:39.920 --> 00:36:40.239 Okay. 00:36:40.879 --> 00:36:45.599 Um that's going to change for Nicodemus, by the way, in the future. 00:36:45.759 --> 00:37:05.119 Um, by the time that they are actually, he's part of the council that would end up arresting Jesus, but before that night of the arrest, there's a time where they are talking about him, and a lot of the Pharisees are very uh adamant, like this man is uh just so much trouble for us. 00:37:05.359 --> 00:37:09.679 And um, and Nicodemus acts, he asks them all. 00:37:09.839 --> 00:37:13.679 He says, Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing them? 00:37:13.759 --> 00:37:16.079 And they say, Are you also his follower? 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:17.839 You can just imagine the Pharisees. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:32.239 Nicodemus', you know, his uh co-workers, so his friends, his people he's been with all this time, and all of a sudden Nicodemus even dares to just ask him, hey, before you get too judgy, let's just at least hear him out. 00:37:32.319 --> 00:37:34.079 And boy, they just attacked him. 00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:36.960 And they're like, Are you also his follower? 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:38.480 Um, search and see. 00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:49.279 Well, we don't find Nicodemus at the time Jesus is arrested in the council that actually brings him to Pilate. 00:37:49.599 --> 00:38:01.279 We do find him with Joseph of Arimathea after Jesus dies, going to Pilate and asking for the body of Christ so they could take care of it and respect it, honor it, and bury it. 00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:03.519 So we see a change in Nicodemus. 00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:23.599 He goes from a man who did who wants to see Jesus but doesn't want anyone to see him see Jesus, to a man who's willing to at least ask the question and take some ridicule for it, to a man willing to come boldly and say, I love this man and I want to honor his death. 00:38:23.839 --> 00:38:29.359 I believe that Nicodemus had found himself in the category of belief. 00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:40.000 And then I believe, I believe, and though I don't have any scripture on this, that the progression tells us he was among the church for the rest of his life. 00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:42.719